Heather Langenkamp, the Queen of 'Nightmare on Elm Street'

It's that time of year when kids dress up as that disgustingly appealing horror phenom Freddy Krueger. So what better time than now, more than 28 years after Nightmare — and the Elm Street heroine Nancy Thompson — changed the horror genre, to catch up with actress Heather Langenkamp who explains her own unique perspective on the Freddy franchise in the documentary I Am Nancy.

The autobiographical film follows her as she attends horror film conventions around the world exploring the role of heroes in an era where villains reign supreme by asking fans, creator Wes Craven, and even the man behind the glove himself, Robert England, “Why Freddymania and not Nancymania?”

"Nancy has helped some gay fans face their fears. After all, coming out of the closet when you’re a teenager has got be more daunting than fighting Freddy in the boiler room and that’s the age that a lot of people are when they’re first watching horror films," Langenkamp says. "I think being able to see a character like Nancy defeat something as evil as Freddy makes it easier for people to deal with the problems in their own lives."